A quick and interesting read, I’m delighted I immediately tracked down and read “A Short History of the World Told in 50 Lies” after I heard Natasha Tidd’s interview with Dr. Cat Jarman on the History Hit podcast Gone Medieval (it’s from the back catalogue in the series).
The fifty stories are told in chronological order, beginning with an ancient king lying his way to the throne and ends with the relatively recent Chernobyl Disaster.
It’s an unsettling truth that “fake news” is not a new phenomenon, created out of nothing by Trump and his ilk. Apparently Julius Caesar was one of the first to give the spin doctors a go, and it’s been a heavily entrenched practice ever since that the powerful lie and get away with it, typically only felled by their own hubris.
Some of these lies have held on for longer than anyone could have imagined, the sort of conspiracy-laden shit the far right will peddle to sow fear and mistrust. There’s something exceptionally depressing that the story Simon of Trent, a twelfth century blood libel case, resurfaced once again only a few short years ago.
Tidd accounts the tragic story of the Tuskegee Experiment that continues to have an impact on Black Americans, to the adventure and might of Jeanne and her Black Fleet sailing the English Channel on her mission of revenge.
Recommended Reading Level
A very approachable read, “A Short History of the World in 50 Lies” is the perfect vacation read for history buffs, a general audience who wants to know a little bit about a lot. Natasha Tidd’s voice is friendly and I definitely recommend!
Joy Reads Books 